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We need to stop this! If we are at war with ourselves, how will we ever get her back?I countered.

Am I the only one who has the balls to go out there and find out where she is?

We have no idea which way she went. If we go out there with no plan, we could end up lost within our own kingdom.

You forget the power we wield. If it is us out there demanding answers, we will get the information!

In an instant, I managed to seize enough power from the pack to force my lycan back before he could take control. I bound him with heavy chains in my mind and locked him in place. It wouldn’t last. It never did. But maybe, just maybe, it would hold long enough for me to focus on the path she was most likely to take.

Between the fight with my lycan and my obsession with the map, I didn’t realize I had a visitor. Nova stepped through the door, and her coconut scent flooded the room. Hers was a scent I was beginning to despise. My lycan’s growl rumbled inside me, confirming he felt the same.

Nova’s touch trailed down my back, and I recoiled. I tore myself from her reach and spun her around in an instant. I wrapped my hand around her throat and began to squeeze.

“You have a lot of fucking nerve touching me like that?” My snarling voice was raw and unrestrained. I hurled her back against the wall.

There was little against that wall, just a few cabinets lining the space. I was careful not to send her crashing into them—I wanted to hurt her, not destroy her. Nova, in her arrogance, still believed she had some claim over me, that she had the right to touch me. That delusion needed to end. Here. Now.

There was no one else. There never had been, and there never would be. Nova had done everything in her power to twist my thoughts, to make me believe my mate was weak and undeserving. But now, I saw the truth. Kylie was perfect. The Moon Goddess hadn’t erred in its choice; I had. Her touch soothed me, her laughter lifted me, and her happiness sparked something within me, a joy I hadn’t realized I was capable of feeling. But when Nova touched me, my skin crawled, and I wanted nothing more than to push this invading presence away. The lingering scent of coconut clung to me, and I found it nauseating. She needs to leave.

Nova’s blue dress clung to her too tightly, leaving nothing to the imagination. The fabric strained against her breasts, and thehem barely covered anything at all. Disgust curled my lip as her wide gray-blue eyes locked onto mine, desperately seeking pity or regret. I had none. I shook my head, and my lycan snarled, his fury mirroring my own.

Kill her.

It was a tempting thought—but far too merciful. Nova had orchestrated a rift between me and my mate, manipulated every moment to her advantage, and made far too many unwelcome advances. If Kylie was found and brought home, Nova would only try again, sinking her claws into the chaos and repeating the cycle. As king and alpha, it was within my right to dictate the matches of my pack. It was time to wield that authority—to ensure Nova found a mate of her own. One far away from me.

“I’ve grown tired of you trying to weasel your way into my heart and upstage your queen. Return to your room, and do not leave until I have found a match for you.”

An alpha’s command was absolute—no one beneath me had the power to defy it. Nova rose swiftly, her movements brisk as she strode out of my office without protest. I turned back to the map, scanning the kingdom until I found the pack farthest from mine. Distance suited her now. It was the best place for her to go. All that remained was pulling the records—finding out who among them was still unmated. Then, she would be dealt with.

And make sure that male doesn’t have much power. Someone relatively new in the pack seems suitable.

I like the way you think.

22

Kylie

With renewed determination, I pushed myself to clean more around the cabin, reclaiming a sense of control. Charlotte hovered nearby, ever watchful, insisting on frequent breaks—water, rest, anything to keep me steady. My stomach had swelled enough that every step had a slight waddle to it. My lycan did what she could, lending me energy in small doses, just enough to manage the cabin while Charlotte handled the cooking. The breaks helped, but sometimes, they weren’t optional. When I felt dizzy and the world succumbed to blurriness, I had no choice but to sit and let it pass.

That feeling was the worst.

I’d be in the middle of something when, without warning, my vision blurred, the room tilted, and my knees wavered beneath me. It happened often enough that I finally dragged a stool around, keeping it close for when the dizzy spells struck.Nathaniel had growled about it until I gave in—his frustration barely masking his concern.

“You are going to make my hair go gray, Kylie. When I’m not home, I worry I’ll come back to find you on the floor,” Nathaniel growled during dinner.

“I’m sure it’s a normal pregnancy thing.”

The rich aroma of hunter’s pie filled the air, and my mouth watered at its savory scent. At least the pup allowed me to enjoy deer, as if she instinctively understood her nature. The lycan soul within her recognized the food she’d one day hunt for herself. Charlotte had ground the venison Nathaniel brought home, simmering it in tomato paste, thyme, peas, carrots, and a blend of spices that melded perfectly. The creamy potatoes and cheese were complemented by a hint of garlic, rounding out the flavor. I moaned with pleasure when the first bite hit my tongue. The savory depth and rich creaminess were irresistible, and I couldn’t help but shovel food into my mouth.

I devoured two platefuls before I realized my mistake. I had stretched my stomach to its limit and immediately felt regret. The swollen feeling in my stomach made me feel sick. My stomach lurched, and I feared I was about to throw up again. I leaned my head back, focusing on steady breaths. Sometimes it helped; sometimes it didn’t. Thankfully, it worked this time.

“We can move you to your bed, Kylie.”

“No, I’m good here. I think if I move right now, dinner would splatter all over the floor.”

I turned my head toward an oblivious Nathaniel, which was a mistake. A sickening wave rolled through me, and my stomach lurched. I swallowed hard to force it down before it could rise any further.

Nathaniel sighed with enough frustration to fill the space between us. I could feel the quiet tension and unspoken helplessness simmering beneath his calm exterior. He wanted to take the pain away and fix what wasn’t working, but there wasn’t anything he could do. Still, he tried. Over the past few months, he had become more of a father to me than my own ever was, doing everything in his power to ease my burden. There were few things I could keep down, but when he had the chance, he always brought them home for me. Lemon cake was my favorite—a surprising comfort. I had expected the acidity to turn my stomach inside out, but somehow, it never did.